Monika Langová is a student of Physical Geography at the Faculty of Science, Charles University. She recently completed a two-month internship focused on project management at the Institute of Computer Science, Czech Academy of Sciences, where she tried this job for the first time, which is completely different from her field of study. You can learn about her reflections on the internship in the interview.
What was the main focus of your internship?
I helped with the development of a project for the HR Awards. Mainly, I was looking for courses and training for employees, and when the project was wrapping up, I was proofreading texts and entering courses.
The topic of your internship is very different from what you study, right? Why did you choose such an internship?
I’m finishing school soon, and I want to try as much as possible, gain new experiences, and figure out what I really enjoy. While I’m young, I can experiment. I was lucky to be accepted, and I’m happy about it!
Did you face any obstacles during your internship because your studies were in a different field?
In this case, not really. If I had been given a more complicated task, I might have felt that I lacked qualifications, but here, it was mostly about email communication, organizing courses, looking up information, and working with Excel. I also communicated a lot with the colleagues on my team, who were great, so it was fine.
Did you have any prior experience with internships?
No, I didn’t. I thought I’d give it a try.
Were you happy with your internship? How was the team?
The team was great. That was my biggest concern because when you go somewhere new, you don’t know what kind of people will be there, if they will be friendly, especially when the field isn’t directly related to your studies. But everyone was really great.
Mrs. Vacková immediately introduced me to the team and made sure I got involved. All the project managers were willing to help, explained everything to me, and we always communicated without any issues. They were really kind, even inviting me for lunch and asking how I was doing. For being there just two months, it was really a great experience.
Did you have any concerns before starting the internship? Did any of them come true?
I was worried, mostly about getting a task I wasn’t qualified for, and that I wouldn’t be able to do it properly or keep up. I knew it was an important project, and I was afraid I wouldn’t know something. But in the end, there was no problem asking for help because everyone was very willing and friendly.
And the last question: Would you recommend doing internships to other students?
Definitely. Every experience is valuable. When you can try something new, no matter the field, it’s always useful. So, I wouldn’t hesitate to do internships, whether it’s this one or any other. It’s important not to tell yourself that they probably won’t take me, and instead, try it.